US Cup: Bonelli - Final Race(All info here)

I am not a technical rider, however, I prefer the non-constant fire roads. So, I understand the frustration with extensive fire road courses. The unfortunate part of SoCal racing is finding places where the events can be held; only a few venues really support the sport.

But, I also know that Tedro, ShoAir and the US Cup is really trying to reach out to racers. Just look at the courses this past year.

Bonelli changed from all fire road to include a significant amount of single track, AND a spectator friendly site. There is plenty of room for sponsor and vendors to set up, and REAL bathrooms. Plus, it's easily accessable. While not a fave, I can see the justification for using it and appreciate the effort to reach out to all--racers, families, spectators, vendors, etc.

Fontana went from the same course used year after year, to add a bit of technical climb/descending thrown in with the regular course for the higher Cats.

Unfortunately, some races are a bit farther away, but the schedule times allow for driving up the same day which limits the need for hotels (or allowing camping).

I do not mean to pick on anyone in particular and I'm really not, but I get awfully tired of people sitting back waiting for some magical series to be dropped in their laps while complaining about what we have.

If you have ideas, please share them, help to improve our sport. Can you suggest a new venue? Are you and your friends willing to help building courses? Do you have the time to assist in getting the required permits and make all the phone calls?

I appreciate all the hard work that has been put into this series and the availability to all the racers, cause I'm a lazy arse and wouldn't be as committed as they prove to be. The change in venue is unfortunate, but that's what we're stuck with when the series tries to make everyone happy. Yet still, not everyone is happy.

Oh, and don't let the series riders stop you from riding your fave races. The points go pretty deep, the bottom two are tossed, and good competition only makes you stronger. So, even if it's only Sagebrush, go out and ride!

 

I'm not really complaining as much as you guys may think i am. I understand that it's a business, and if it's not worth it, then i wouldnt expect them to do it. BUT, if GM canceled production on the Corvette because it wasnt profitable, i would surely be upset too because i like muscle cars. Would i be wrong for wishing they braught it back? No. Would i be wrong for not wanting to settle for a Chevy Cobalt instead when i really wanted a v8? I dont think so. Same concept.
Also, why would i want to do all the work of the race organizer when i pay them $45-300 per race to enter then have to shell another 100-300 for travel/lodging? I'd rather pay a few bucks more so they can do a little extra work if that's all it took to line up a better course. I had enough to deal with trying to train for the races and work a full time job on top of it. I litterally had no life outside riding when i was racing.
And as far as riding in a series race when i have no intention of finishing the series, it can really screw things up for someone who worked hard all year to compete.
For example, i won the cal state series in 2006 by 1 point. If i had not won Sagebrush, i would not have won the series, even if the only person who beat me never raced again. I guess you can say that's just part of racing, but i'd rather just stay out of the way of people who are in for the comitment/win.

 

You know now that someone mentioned it.......Fontucky would be a better choice than Bonelli. It has a little of everything and right in the middle of a well populated area.

Just so you guys know I am not complaining either. This WAS to be a so called unification race for east versus west. Now everyone is trying to make up reasons why that should not happen. So as it stand it is no longer a unification race but just another local race. Now this is ok if I look at it like that and you can bet I will be there to race my legs off.

 

whats the course exactly guna be? does anyone know?

 

the bonelli course of race 1 was much better than that of fontana i think and fontana is far for the OC crowd. Bonelli is the middle of southern california and why it turns out the biggest number of racers...3 major freeways connecting it.

Im willing to scout some loop options for bonelli to keep things interesting. PM me if you want help.

 

anyone know which course they will use? (long, short, start, finish, etc)

 

any updates on the exact course?

 

The next US Cup race is in Windham on August 15. I'm going to guess they won't have the Bonelli course posted until after that race.

 

actually, the next US Cup race is in Mount Snow, VT this coming weekend. the following weekend is Windham, NY.

gonna be an interesting week!!! :bang:

 

mountain bike racing needs a big change

I say indoor short track loops like half mile of mile long loops

spectator friendly

angel stadium would be sick

somthing needs to pick up though...

 

Our friends at the US CUP have published the race course for the Unification Race. Same course as the first race this year. Here it is on geoladders:

http://www.geoladders.com/gps_route_racer.php?route_id=21378

Everything you need for the race and US CUP on their website:

www.uscup.net

Its a fast fun course, typical Bonelli. Great for the experienced rider and the first timer. Hope you all come out.

 

awesome race course...

 

2009 U.S. Cup Unification and 1 day championship

come out and check out the 2009 1 day championship and Unification race. We will have alot of great racing and will be picking one racer from each class to win a 200 dollar gift certificate, that is 1 rider from each of the cats so 1 from all the cat 1s, 1 from all the cat 2s and 1 from all the cat 3s. for a total of $600.00 .

 

Hello, we have added a new twist to the Race, we will now have the Unification Race as well as a US Cup One Day Championship Challenge. So if you are not in the running for the Series Unification Title, you can win the One Day Challenge and be crowned the 1 Day US Cup Champion! We will also be picking 1 random winner from each catagory to win $200.00 cash, so come on out and have some fun. We are also joining forces with our CX friends and will run a CX race on Saturday and the MTB and Supern D on Sunday.

By the way, the reason why we moved the race to Bonelli is becuase due to the unfortunate death of the genteman that runs the racing at Bootleg, we could not get the necassary permits for the race. We then worked a deal with the Interbike Management to run the race durring the Dirt Demo and we got massive support from the industry and everything was set, however a few companies that i will not name threatend to sue if they ran the race durring the dirt demo event so that pretty much ended that idea. I will post more about the 2010 season soon.

Hope to see you all at Bonelli

 

sounds awesome, well planned and hella good but same day as 24 hours Hurkey creek (I already signed up) ](*,)

 

Team "Sho-Off" is full of crap trying to blame not holding the race at Bootleg on Brent's death! He died all way back in Febuary.

I've known Brent for years and he would have wanted the racing to continue, that's way we still had events there after his passing this year.

I read on another site the real reason the US Cup didn't come to Bootleg, is that the guy who owns the thing is a real Wacko and blew through all the money and couldn't pay the permits. They had advertised the race for months, and USA Cycling even had it on there calendar....so where is the permitting issue?

My case in point-Look where there offering "$200 for every class winner". At over 60 classes of cross country racers that's $12,000 they are putting up, just for some local dinky race.

Even if they got 400 riders at $40 bucks, that's only $4K to run the race.....no wonder the US Cup is hurting with a business model like that. Maybe they will try and sell us the series T-Shirts back to us like they tried at Fontana...what a joke to start the series off offering shirts, and then half way through the series they start selling them back to us.

Well at least Donny Jackson at Southridge has all our backs because I don't see the US Cup lasting much longer.

 

Oh boy have you gotten things wrong! First of all, I don't know anyone ever in the US who has put in more of his own personal money into the sport of mountain biking without asking for anything in return, than the owner of the US Cup (And I don't actually think he "owns" the US Cup). His whole intent was to assist local race organizers, and for the most part I believe that attendance has been up (or at least flat) - mind you, in the midst of the biggest recession since mountain biking was invented. I also understand that he is also putting his money into the UCI inscription fee Windham is paying to get a World Cup race next year. Saying that the dedication and financial help the "owner" of the US Cup has put into the sport of mountain biking makes him a waco is stupid. He has saved the sport of MTB racing. If you think it is, why don't you put up a couple hundred thousand of your own money (without asking for anything back).

And nothing against Don Jackson at Southridge either. Its thanks to people like him and Scott Tedro that the sport of MTB racing is still around.

And if you check another thread on this site, the US Cup is back in 2010 and with a BANG!

And with that, got to go. I'll be proudly putting on my SHOAIR (Velosport) jersey and going to ride!

 

Wow...

400 x 40 = 16,000 not 4,000

...just, wow. ](*,)

 

Oingo Boingo you need to check your math.

16,000-12,000=$4000, that was the point I was trying to make. If you pay out like 60 classes $200 each that's $12,000.

I know first hand that Bonelli Park isn't free, as I used to help with the SC Velo races there a few years back. So if your only taking in $4000 and the park fee is like $2500 last time I was involved, that doesn't leave a whole lot of money to pay for awards, staff etc.

How can you make any money givng away the farm?

Anyway, who cares I'm going to Hurkey Creek that weekend....and then to Team Big Bear for the CA State Championships on the 27th....that is the only title that matters....not some "One Day Unification Cup Challenge Championship" that they created too weaks before the race in order to try and give the race more validity....

Anyone want to go ride the Luge tomorrow?

 

DownhillEX11...

I have to say you are probably not doing the smart thing here. Donny is a great guy too, but Scott has put a great thing together with the US Cup. I for one think that if the National Series went away it would be horrible for the sport in the US.

Are you invested or losing something in the US Cup?

I was bummed that the race didn't happen at Bootleg, but in the end it will still be a good race. Do I hope to race at Bootleg next year? Hell yeah! I hope Scott makes that happen to make up for not getting it there this year.

Who cares what the excuses are for the changes this season? Not me. I will be out there throwing down the best I got for the CAT1 30-34 podium, and my wife will be racing for the podium in Pro wearing a ShoAir kit!

Thanks a million Scott. We appreciate all your hard work and support!